There’s no limit when it comes to buttercream frosting flavors for cupcakes! Super simple to make and so delicious, buttercream frosting is a great match for almost any cupcake recipe. Especially if it’s enhanced by a special flavor – that can really take your baking creations to the next level! The most popular buttercream frosting options are vanilla, chocolate and strawberry but there are some utterly unique buttercream frosting recipes such as Jalapeño Buttercream or Basil Buttercream as well.
Buttercream frosting is one of the most popular cupcake frosting recipes because it’s really simple to make. Plus, it’s totally versatile – once you get the grip of making the basic buttercream recipe, you will be able to add almost any ingredient to it and completely transform its taste.
Basic buttercream is made of three ingredients – butter, cream and sugar. Some recipes will have more sugar, some recipes will have less and some – no sugar at all. That all depends on the specific ingredients combination as well as your taste preferences.
As I mentioned, there is an endless number of buttercream frosting flavors for cupcakes. I have listed some of my favorites below.
Classic Buttercream Frosting Flavors for Cupcakes
Vanilla Buttercream
This creamy buttercream is the absolute top choice for most bakers! Elegant, yet simple to make, vanilla buttercream can elevate the taste of almost any cupcake recipe.
However, the best partner for it is the classic vanilla cupcake: an all time favourite cupcakes recipe.
Chocolate Buttercream
Needless to say, the chocolate buttercream frosting is among the most loved ones ! Luscious and delicious, it offers unparalleled taste.
Chocolate buttercream is a perfect companion for chocolate chip vanilla cupcakes, banana oatmeal cupcakes, coconut cupcakes and, needless to say – chocolate cupcakes.
Recipe: Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Peanut Butter Buttercream
Silky smooth and ultra rich – in short, that’s a peanut buttercream frosting. It’s nutty flavor goes well with chocolate cupcakes, oatmeal cupcakes, jam filled vanilla cupcakes and even some savory cupcake recipes such as the bacon & cheese cupcakes.
Recipe: Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting
Strawberry Buttercream
Use fresh or frozen strawberries and even combine them with mint or thyme for unique flavor!
Strawberry buttercream is usually paired with classic cupcake recipes but it’s great for some unusual combinations as well – for example lemon cupcakes or savory spinach cupcakes.
Recipe: Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Decadent Buttercream Frosting Flavors for Cupcakes
Oreo Buttercream
This buttercream frosting flavor for cupcakes needs no introduction. Just add Oreo cookies to the basic or chocolate buttercream recipe and you are good to go!
Recipe: Oreo Buttercream Frosting
Rum Buttercream
Topped or filled with rum buttercream, a cupcake turns into the ultimate seduction dessert. Need a stronger pinch? Use spiced rum!
Rum buttercream frosting is a great match for rum or cinnamon cupcakes as well as chocolate cupcakes.
Recipe: Rum Buttercream Frosting
Salted Caramel Buttercream
It needs no introduction! Pairs great with chocolte and coffee cupcake recipes. Also, it is a great frosting for winter flavored cupcake recipes such as apple and cinnamon cupcakes or spiced pumpkin cupcakes.
Recipe: Salted Caramel Frosting
Pumpkin Spice Buttercream
The name says it all – pipe it on top of your Halloween cupcake creations, gingerbread cupcakes or any kids friendly cupcake recipe!
Recipe: Pupkin Spice Buttercream
Fruit Flavors in Buttercream Frosting for Cupcakes
Lemon Buttercream
Plain cupcake recipes are best for this tangy buttercream frosting. For a real WOW effect, pair it with lemon, strawberry or raspberry cupcakes!
Recipe: Lemn Buttercream Frosting
Raspberry Buttercream
Looking for a cupcake frosting that screams “summer”? That’s the raspberry buttercream! It will compliment lemon or vanilla cupcakes best, or even red velvet cupcakes, especially if you add some of those deiscious raspberries in the batter.
Recipe: Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
Coconut Buttercream
The true exotic flavor of coconut buttercream compliments best white chocolate cupcakes. Mix it with dark chocolate buttercream for extra visual effect!
Recipe: Coconut Buttercream Frosting
Blueberry Buttercream
The malty scent of blueberries pairs especially well with cupcakes featuring a berry taste – blackberries, strawberries, etc. Some unusual combinations are avocado cupcakes with blueberry buttercream or elfderflower cupcakes with blueberry buttercream.
Recipe: Blueberry Buttercream Frosting
Herb Buttercream Frosting Flavors for Cupcakes
Peppermint Buttercream
Mint and dark chocolate – a match made in heaven! Take it a step further and add chocolate chips to the frosting for extra texture and flavor.
Recipe: Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
Lavender Buttercream
Creamy and tender, you can try this frostig on vanilla cupcakes. It is also a tasty combination for lightly flavored lemon cupcakes or white chocolate cupcakes.
Recipe:b Lavender Buttercream Frosting
Chamomile Buttercream
Chamomile infused buttercream might seem like a strange idea at first. Yet again, you will be surprised how well it pairs with honey cupcakes!
Recipe: Chamomile Buttercream Frosting
Unusual Buttercream Frosting Flavors for Cupcakes
Cookie Dough Buttercream
Super easy to make with home-made or store-bought cookie dough, this is a frosting that is so tasty on top of gingerbread cupcakles!
Recipe: Cookie Dough Buttercream Frosting
Coca Cola Buttercream
Experience the full flavor of this unique buttercream frosting flavor with a coca cola cupcake!
Recipe: Coca Cola Buttercream Recipe
Champagne Buttercream
Drizzle caramel on top of this elegfant buttercream and you will be creating a true cupcake masterpiece. Best with vanilla, strawberry or white chocolate cupcakes.
Recipe: Champagne Buttercream Frosting
Avocado Buttercream
Although avocado buttercream does look a bit intimidating, it’s a great math for most savory cupcake recipes. For a real show-stopper taste, sprinkle some cayenne pepper on top!
Recipe: Avocado Buttercream Frosting
Marshmallow Buttercream
A loved frosting flavor by kids and adults alike. Go for kids friendly cupcake recipes such as pumpkin or apple cupcakes.
Recipe: Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting
Buttercream Frosting Flavors for Cupcakes: Next Steps
These are twenty of my all-time favorite tastes for cupcake buttercream frosting. Most of them can be use as stand alone toppings, or in different combinations. You can mix together any two or even three flavors – just make sure they compliment each other. Good partners are dark chocolate and peppermint, coconut and lemon, strawberry and chocolate, almond and blueberry, vanilla with any fruit buttercream and so on. Looking to experient with buttercream? In that case go for unusual combos such as avocado and cayenne pepper buttercream or salted caramel buttercream and pretzels.
I hope you will try it and check out some of the other cupcake recipes on my blog.
Cheers,
Suzie F.